Use boulders to form a wall in the garden
Recently, I was talking with Decatur landscape architect Dottie Myers about stone walls and how much they add to a garden. In fact, one of the first things I did in my new garden (which I started less than two years ago) was to have a low granite stone retaining wall built. I chose granite because our house is made of granite. In my case, the wall was the perfect solution to create an outdoor space, address drainage issues and deal with a grade change. In some gardens though, where space is tight or there are tree roots that make putting in a footer impractical, carefully placed boulders can serve the same function as a wall. It is easy to work boulders into a natural or informal setting, but they also can work in more formal gardens. Boulders were on my mind when Dottie took me to see how she used them in the established garden of one of her clients. The space was a small backyard that already had existing granite and brick walls. Her client wanted to get rid of the ailing lawn and replace it with a cozy courtyard.
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Take time to choose the right plants to use as screens
One of the challenges we face as gardeners, no matter where we garden, is finding the right plant for the right place. When it comes to plants for creating a screen or hedge in a narrow space such as between buildings, or along a property line or driveway, choosing the right plant or plants is especially important. A screen can be open or solid, as long as it distracts and draws the eye away from the area you are trying to screen. If there is lots of room where the roots will be, then there are many options, both deciduous and evergreen. If space is restricted for both root and top growth, there are fewer choices. If you’re ambitious and you want something different, free-standing espaliered plants like Magnolia grandiflora ‘Little Gem’ make a dramatic living fence. Evergreen vines such as Carolina jessamine, Gelsemium sempervirens, trained on wire fences also act as an effective screen. Using large pots planted with trees or shrubs so that roots have adequate space is another way to create enclosure or privacy. Prunus caroliniana ‘Bright N Tight’ is a compact selection of Carolina cherry laurel that grows 10 feet to 15 feet high and 8 feet wide. It works well as a screen in a pot or in the ground as a hedge.
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